Movies based on video games have a reputation for being really awful. Most of the time, these movies fail to translate what makes a video game memorable, powerful, or influential onto the big screen. Changing world-building that doesn’t need to be changed, messing up characterization, and getting important plot points wrong are just a few culprits that often make a video game adaptation bad.
Despite the negative reputation, video game adaptations are still popular, and when they’re done well, they can make for some of the best modern movies and television series. The Last of Us Season 1, for example, was highly praised as one of the best video game adaptations ever made, and Prime Video’s Fallout series has been nominated for numerous Emmys. Series based on video games seem to do a little better than movies, especially over the last several years, but there are still plenty of strong video game movies out there.
When talking about video game movies, it’s nearly impossible to exclude Paul W. S. Anderson’s Resident Evil series. This series is probably one of the most infamous video game adaptations of all time, because there are six movies in the Resident Evil franchise, starting with Resident Evil (2002). Unfortunately, fans of Capcom’s Resident Evil video game franchise more or less hate the movie series. It focuses on Alice, a character who never existed in the video games, and outright disrespects most of the canon video game characters to keep Alice in the spotlight.
That said, the very first movie showed a lot of promise. The 2002 film follows Alice and a group of Umbrella Corporation commandos as they break into “the hive,” a secret, underground Umbrella Corp facility where an outbreak of the T-virus threatens to escape, turning ordinary people into zombies. Resident Evil is heavily inspired by the original, groundbreaking Resident Evil (1996) and Resident Evil 2 (1998), and although it’s not a perfect adaptation, it does hold a lot of love for the games that inspired it. Sadly, the movie franchise only gets worse from here.
Warcraft was the Most Profitable Video Game Adaptation Until The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Warcraft (2016), also known as Warcraft: The Beginning, is based on Blizzard Entertainment’s Warcraft video game franchise. Although Warcraft received disastrous critical scores, moviegoers were much kinder about this film and, interestingly enough, gamers and fans of the Warcraft franchise actually seemed to resonate well with this movie. Warcraft was the first video game adaptation to surpass $400,000,000 at the box office, and it held the title of highest-grossing video game movie until The Super Mario Bros. Movie surpassed it in 2023.
Warcraft tells the story of Gul’dan, an orc shaman who uses dark magic to escape from his dying planet and invade Azeroth, the human realm. To ensure the success of the invasion, Gul’dan turns orc clans into an army known as the Horde, and several heroes of Azeroth are forced to work together to fight back against the orc invasion. As the story unfolds, both sides of the war are confronted with the reality that violence may not be the right path for either side.
Gran Turismo is a Rare Video Game Movie Based on a True Story
“Video game adaptation” and “based on a true story” are not two phrases that often go hand-in-hand, but Gran Turismo (2023) is one such video game movie. This biographical sports drama is based on Polyphony Digital’s sim racing game series, also called Gran Turismo. Since the game itself is a racing sim and doesn’t actually have much story to turn into a movie, the movie focuses on Jann Mardenborough, a Gran Turismo enthusiast who goes on to become a professional race car driver.
According to Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 65% Tomatometer, which isn’t fantastic, but it’s much higher than the critic scores for both Resident Evil and Warcraft. Where Gran Turismo really shines, though, is the Popcornmeter because it has an outstanding 98% and it’s Verified Hot. Movie goers and video game lovers absolutely love this movie and can’t stop raving about it.
Mortal Kombat II is the Newest Movie On This List
Mortal Kombat II (2026) is a direct sequel to Mortal Kombat (2021), both of which are based on the fighting video game series of the same name. Mortal Kombat is one of the most infamous fighting games ever made, and to this day, die-hard fans still flock to new installments of this incredible series, seeking deadly characters, all equipped with their own unique fatalities. The 2021 film received mostly positive reviews from fans, though some did point out that it detoured away from the core video game a little too much.
Mortal Kombat II addresses a lot of the criticisms from the first film by shifting focus to the actual Mortal Kombat tournament. The film also introduces Johnny Cage into the fold, a washed-up Hollywood actor known for his martial arts movies. Johnny Cage and the champions of Earthrealm must compete in and win Mortal Kombat to defeat the evil Shao Kang, who wishes to conquer and enslave all of Earthrealm. This film currently has an 88% on the Popcornmeter and is Verified Hot, proving that fans love it and can’t wait to see another Mortal Kombat installment.
Detective Pikachu is the Only Live-Action Pokémon Movie To Date
Detective Pikachu (2019), as mentioned, is the only live-action Pokémon movie in existence, and it is based on a Pokémon adventure game of the same name. The film follows Tim Goodman, the son of Detective Harry Goodman, who mysteriously goes missing. Tim teams up with Harry’s Pokémon partner, Pikachu, to search for his father, but Pikachu developed amnesia around the same time Harry went missing, so he’s just as confused about Harry’s disappearance as Tim is.
Together, Tim and Pikachu investigate Harry’s disappearance, which leads them down a path to unravel a much darker mystery plaguing Ryme City, where Pokémon and people work and live side-by-side. A mysterious gas called “R gas” is thrown into the mix, which causes Pokémon to go feral under its influence, turning the vibrant, Pokémon-filled streets of Ryme City into a potentially dangerous swarm of feral Pokémon.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie Made Over $1.3 Billion
It’s no secret that The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023) is the most successful video game movie ever made. It currently holds the record for the highest-grossing video game adaptation ever, with over 1.36 billion dollars in sales. The Super Mario Galaxy Movie (2026), its direct sequel, now holds second place on the highest-grossing video game movie list, and it is just shy of the 1 billion dollar mark.
To be fair, The Super Mario Bros. Movie had a lot of advantages, like utilizing a colorful and game-appropriate animation style to bring one of the most infamous video game characters to life. While the sequel has received quite a lot of criticism for stretching itself too thin, the 2023 movie does an amazing job telling a concise story about how Mario and Luigi get to the Mushroom Kingdom and how they set out on a journey that takes them from ordinary plumbers to heroes.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Improved on the Original Movie
Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) took the world by storm. After an unfortunate and terrifying Sonic design got a complete rework to look more video game accurate, fans flocked to theaters to see the adaptation without much hope that Sonic the Hedgehog would actually be good. Shockingly, moviegoers and fans of the video games loved it, and immediately dived in for more. Currently, there are three Sonic the Hedgehog films, with a fourth movie on the way, and this is a rare series where each film seems to get better than the last.
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) picks up where the first film left off, with Dr. Robotnik searching for the Master Emerald, a relic that will give him unstoppable power. Together, Sonic and Tails must beat Dr. Robotnik to the Master Emerald, but they aren’t fully prepared for Robotnik’s new accomplice, Knuckles the Echidna. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 has a 96% Popcornmeter and is Verified Hot, and thanks to the way it builds out Sonic’s family, it’s definitely worth the hype.
Exit 8 is an Underrated Gem of a Horror Video Game Movie
Exit 8 (2025) is a Japanese psychological horror and mystery film based on Kotake Create’s indie video game, The Exit 8 (2023). Exit 8 was first released in Japan in August 2025 and then received a North American release in April 2026. Unfortunately, it has been overshadowed by a lot of other incredible horror movies to come out in the last few months, like Backrooms, Obsession, and Hokum. It’s a shame that Exit 8 has flown under the radar, though, because it’s an absolutely incredible horror video game movie.
The film follows an unnamed man who finds himself trapped in an endless, looping subway station. The man must find various anomalies in each new “loop” of the subway station to locate an exit, which seems more and more impossible the longer he moves through the endless subway tunnels. This film utilizes the popular mechanics of searching for and identifying anomalies in many modern horror games, as seen in games like The Exit 8, I’m On Observation Duty, The Cabin Factory, and Dollmare.
Werewolves Within is Based on a VR Game for Oculus Rift
Werewolves Within (2021) is another underrated video game adaptation based on a video game of the same name. One thing that makes the Werewolves Within video game stand out from the rest of the games mentioned on this list is that it is exclusively a virtual reality game built for the Oculus Rift, rather than a normal console or PC. The film takes place in a small town in Vermont that is overrun by a horrible snowstorm.
To endure the storm, the townsfolk all hole up in the local inn, where forest ranger Finn and postal worker Cecily try to keep everyone calm. Soon, the civilians discover that there is a mysterious creature lurking in the community, and soon enough, the townsfolk begin to suspect that one of the people inside the inn might actually be a werewolf. Surprisingly for a video game movie, Werewolf Within actually has an 86% Tomatometer and is Certified Fresh by critics.
Critics & Fans Agree that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 is an Incredible Movie From Start to Finish
When it comes to video game adaptations, critics are usually extremely harsh when reviewing them. It’s up to the general audience and fans of the video game franchise to give the movie a chance that critics simply won’t. That, however, is not the case for Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (2024), because critics and fans agree that this is one of the best video game movies ever made. The film has an 85% Tomatometer and is Certified Fresh, but it also has a 95% Popcornmeter and is Verified Hot, which makes Sonic the Hedgehog 3 the only film on this list where critics and fans basically agree.
Between Jim Carrey’s double performance as Dr. Robotnik and his father, Gerald Robotnik, and Keanu Reeves’ rendition of Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 became an instant classic. Shadow’s story arc alone deals with a shockingly mature storyline that will leave viewers in tears, proving that even the goofiest ideas can pack an emotional punch. Many critics and fans cite Sonic the Hedgehog 3 as the best movie in the series, a rare but well-earned feat.